The Scrubs series has not only created popular characters with its main actors. Many supporting characters are also loved by fans and also get episodes that focus on them. But there was also a death that made for a pretty emotional episode, but which is strangely resolved a season later.
Which character is it about? The popular sitcom Scrubs ran between 2001 and 2010. Over the course of the medical series, many characters were introduced that became fan favorites. This not only includes the main characters like JD, Turk, Carla or Dr. Cox. Supporting characters like Ted, the caretaker or Laverne are also popular characters.
But Laverne creates a storyline that, while emotional, no longer makes sense a season later.
Scrubs – Trailer for the DVD release of the 1st season
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A deceased character suddenly returns
What is it about? In Season 6 Episode 14, the central point is a discussion between Laverne and Dr. Cox on faith and how it helps Laverne cope with all the terrible things in the hospital. At the end of the episode we learn that Laverne was injured in a car accident and is in a coma. One episode later she dies.
Both episodes themselves are pretty good. Dr. Cox gets character development with a problem already hinted at and the death of Laverne also makes for a great acting performance from Carla, played by Judy Reyes.
Where is the problem? The consequences of her death are generally not a problem. Scrubs has many episodes that lighten the comedy with emotional moments. The problem with the storyline is a new character in season 7.
The character Shirley appears there, who, like Laverne, is also played by Aloma Wright. She also behaves like Laverne in the few scenes. JD even brings this up in one episode. Then he says she looks like a sister who used to work here. In German he even calls it Lavernavu, a mix of Laverne and Déjà vu.
Given the sad and emotional consequences of season 6, it seems rather inappropriate that the character is brought back in this form.
You just didn’t know what would happen next
Why was that done? People were already used to the death of guest characters in Scrubs. You immediately think of Brendan Fraser, who played Jordan’s brother. Nothing like this actually happened to minor characters. In a panel discussion, Bill Lawrence, the creator of the series, explained why it was done that way.
In a panel (via YouTube), the Scrubs crew talked about guest characters and their deaths. Laverne also came up. According to Lawerence, Laverne was killed off on the show because they thought Season 6 would be the final season. But he promised her that he would return if there was a seventh season.
It’s hard to find work in comedy, there aren’t many comedies on TV, so I told her that if the show continued for a seventh year, she would come back as a different character called Shirley.
Bill Lawerence on why Aloma Wright returned.
However, only JD notices the similarities to the character Laverne in the series. All other characters in the series don’t even react to it. In such long series you can’t always plan everything in advance. The same goes for the janitor: JD’s biggest enemy in Scrubs wasn’t supposed to exist, but the series was too good